How To Save A Life
by xblondecutieo23
Summary: Brucas. While Brooke is in a downward spiral, falling fast and hard, Lucas must try his hardest to save what he can of Brooke and their relationship. BL oneshot set after 3.22.


**Author's Notes: **This is a one-shot that takes place after the season three finale. There is a lot going around with Brucas right now, and I have a lot to say about this, but this oneshot has nothing to do with that. It does not involved, nor is it based on, any spoilers, previews, etc. I worked hard on this, and honestly, I would love to see this on the show! I really, really hope you enjoy.

Beta'd by the amazing Justine and Jen . Thank you very, very much!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own One Tree Hill, or anything from it. No offense, but I wouldn't want to. I only own this storyline.

**How To Save A Life**

_Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend,  
somewhere along in the bitterness.  
I would have stayed up with you all night,  
had I known how to save a life._

With every part of him hurting, Lucas Scott could count the miserable days-- twenty-eight days and about six hours. He could still remember every detail like it was only yesterday.

Brooke Davis had arrived at his house around seven, saying she needed to talk. Karen had offered dinner, if she wanted to stay. She declined.

He couldn't suppress the instinct that something was wrong. She had wanted to talk to him, without a single kiss at all. She was passing up Karen's homemade food, which she loved.

_Step one you say we need to talk.  
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk.  
He smiles politely back at you,  
you stare politely right on through._

She had a weird vibe hanging over her, and everything about her presence seemed off. Then again, it had been that way since Nathan and Haley's wedding a few days earlier. It was the relentless feeling of worry and suspicion that Brooke carried. He didn't blame her, not one bit.

He could honestly say that when he was with Brooke the year before, he hadn't seen those amazing qualities that made him fall in love with her. Maybe he hadn't even tried to see her uniqueness. He hurt her in the worst way possible. In fact, he was thankful every day for the second chance he had received.

Lucas had replayed the speech over and over again; there was nothing romantic between himself and Peyton. Although, he later learned that this was not completely true. Peyton still had feelings for Lucas, and he couldn't deny it for himself.

Lucas felt something for Peyton. In fact, he loved her. It was not the same love he felt for Brooke. With Peyton, it was more of a friendship, a fatherly love. With Brooke, he was head-over-heels in love with her, and she could not see that.

He knew it couldn't be perfect forever, because he had caused Brooke too much pain in the past. Every day of their high school lives, the presence what he and Peyton had shared would hang over their relationship. Eventually, the ship sunk.

Brooke Davis was truly an amazing woman. She had more character than Lucas had ever seen in a girl so young. She was so caring, yet so full of spunk. She would do anything for those she loved, including giving them a second chance.

Because she was so wonderful, she hadn't given up on him. He told her of the kiss with Peyton, even though it was meaningless.

Of course, at first she was hurt, but she quickly recovered and chose to be mature about the situation. She remained with him for almost a week, until he confronted her about her pregnancy test; the test was not her's.

_Some sort of window to your right,  
as he goes left and you stay right.  
Between the lines of fear and blame,  
and you begin to wonder why you came._

To Brooke, this was the end. They needed a break. They were no longer communicating at the level they used to. They were no longer letting each other in when it was most crucial.

It was only a temporary break, just until they were ready to get back on track, and then he ruined it. Peyton had already begun her advances on Lucas.

The friendship between Brooke and Peyton was as clear as night and day. It had completely died. Peyton had nothing to hold her back when Brooke had everything to lose.

With the tension between Brooke and Lucas growing like a newborn child, and the unfortunate misunderstanding, they were done. Brooke had nothing left to look forward to, and made sure that Lucas had nothing left to fight for.

To this day, he was still fighting. Not one person in the world could say that he wasn't. Yes, he wasn't stalking her anymore.

He wasn't calling her cell, waiting at her locker, waiting at her car, or cornering her after practice, but he was still fighting for the love they had. He just didn't have anything left to do.

Brooke had lost the love of her life, and the friend she loved more than anything. Now she was living with a girl even crazier than her, richer than her, and with more access to strong alcohol. Brooke was now living with Rachel Gattina.

Now, twenty-eight days later, she was back to her old ways full force, and he was starting to worry.

_-------_

It had been awhile since Lucas was at one of these lame parties, since around the time of Keith's death, a party Brooke had thrown for Lucas. A party that was healing the horrible day, but never healed her relationship with him.

Teens scattered all over the beach house were carelessly dancing with each other and downing drinks. Brooke was doing both, about five times more than most others. This was the first time he began to notice her personality change.

After the first time he had broken her heart, she was angry, but she evolved into this amazing person. She was so independent, so will-full, and so determined, that the thought of her ever losing that was unimaginable. And yet, here she was, completely changed.

Her mouth finally left the neck it had been on. Lucas couldn't even manage to see who the guy was, and there wasn't a reason to. Within less than an hour, it would be a different guy.

He stood propped up against the wall, his head fighting every urge to bang against it, for he could not handle the mess he had put them in.

He watched as she swiped another bottle of something, which he probably didn't even know the name of. She was downing it faster than the snotty, rich kids could trash their parent's money.

She also wasn't reading anymore. Brooke was never one of those girls who sat in their house all day, fascinated in a book, but he made her more and more interested in it. Sometimes, he felt it was just because she wanted to communicate with him, and know him better, but other times she seemed so into it.

Now, she was skipping any class that involved Lucas and he hadn't seen her with a book in sight. She was back to the cheerleading, but it wasn't the cheerleading that made her face light up, a real smile emerge, and her eyes twinkle. It was the look he loved seeing in her; it was the real her.

Now, he saw fakeness, impurity, and darkness. It pained him more than one soul could bare, to know that he caused this. If only he could fix it. Return her to her wonderful self. She would never admit it, but she was broken, like she had been before. He had once promised he would rescue her, and he intended to keep this promise.

As Brooke exited the crowd of friends she was with, in order to get another drink, he knew this was his chance to talk to her.

"Brooke." It was a clear, dull, statement that secretly held meaning.

_Let him know that you know best,  
__cause after all you do know best.  
Try to slip past his defense,  
without granting innocence._

Deep down, Brooke knew the voice. Perhaps it was the alcohol, or just the fact that she didn't care anymore, but she swung completely around to face him with her newly fake smile plastered all over her face; it broke every inch of his heart.

"Lucas, the amazing Lucas. What a great man you are," she said playfully, but with a sarcastic hint as she continued to smile at him. She draped her arms on his shoulder, leaving part resting on his chest. "Oh, love me Lucas."

He gave a sigh at her words, if only she knew how much he wanted to do that. If only she knew how much he wanted to be with her, to love her, to save her.

"What a joke, right?" she muttered out. "How is my former best friend doing anyway?"

The look in Lucas' eyes conveyed it all. There was nothing between Peyton and Lucas. Brooke wasn't sure if she should be happy about that fact, or take the opportunity to throw it in his face. She chose the latter.

_Lay down a list of what is wrong,  
the things you've told him all along.  
And pray to God he hears you._

"Oh, that's rich. I get screwed and kicked to the curb, and she sends your ass packing. Finally one of her two faces does something right."

It was a technique Brooke had mastered quite elegantly. She knew her own feelings of pain and loss. They were pulling at her skin now more than ever. Her skill, was to cover it all up and make it so believable, that she almost fooled herself; Lucas was never fooled.

He could see right through that icy exterior, and had always been able to notice at least something. It wasn't complete, but he managed to break down some part of that wall, to where he had some sense of knowledge with her. She had let him in just enough for him to know that this was all an act. She deserved an Academy Award.

"God, Brooke, just stop!"

She was quite startled by the words, because she certainly had not seen it coming. He looked down as he noticed one single tear, conveying pain, emotion, and vulnerability so eloquently.

"I miss you," she stated, before smudging her heavy eyeliner a bit to erase all evidence of her slip-up, and hurried back to the group, another full drink in hand.

_Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend,  
somewhere along in the bitterness._

-------

A few days later, Brooke had gone over the edge, and the bartender knew it. She was groggy and barely coherent, completely unable to give him a response. She looked a bit familiar, since she had been coming there more and more the past few weeks.

She was always completely wasted, and usually with a different guy. Sometimes she would stop in with a red-headed girl, whom he'd never met, but only seemed like more trouble than Brooke. Of course, he knew her as Gretchen.

He found her cell phone laying in the small handbag that had been sitting in front of her. Nobody really ever told them what to do in the situation, but he had this problem before. Brooke was passing out right before his eyes, sitting at the barstool.

Quickly, he dialed the first number in her missed calls list, that had been recently flashing.

A few minutes later, Lucas arrived at the Blue Post. He remembered this place, it was where he had his first date with Brooke, where it all began. It was where his life had truly started.

He noticed the bartender standing near the tiny, fragile brunette, and the state that she was in. It wasn't too unusual. She was usually always drunk when he was around her, just never this bad.

Lucas managed to carry her out into the pouring rain. It had become such a horrible storm, it resembled 'The Day After Tomorrow'. Neither of them could feel a drip of the hard, deathly rain, because there was too much pain inside them already.

The two arrived back at his house, because he had no clue where else he should take her. He wouldn't take her to Rachel's now; who knew what kind of guys would be there. _He_ didn't even want to be there now.

Carefully, he helped her lay down onto his bed. She wasn't completely out of it yet, but she had only been able to say a few words on the whole dreadful ride home. The two had always been able to be comfortable around each other. While taking her home the atmosphere was so awkward, he almost couldn't bare it.

"Lucas,"

He heard her express softly. There it was, that sad vulnerable voice that pulled his heart to jagged little pieces whenever he heard it. He stroked her arm, with a soft, gentle touch, as he watched her slowly open her eyes.

"Don't," she whispered out, using the sad voice, "touch me." Brooke rolled over a slight bit, clearly turning away from Lucas, and dozed off.

"I love you," he murmured sadly, and did as he was told by backing away from her. He deserved this. He had to keep telling himself that this was his fault, and he needed to be responsible for fixing it.

That scared him more than anything in the world. He finally got Brooke to be able to trust him again, he finally was given a second chance. Even though he hadn't even meant to do anything, he had lost that. All that he worked for with Brooke was now gone.

He had no idea if he would ever get the wonderful thing he had with Brooke back, or if he would be able to convince her that she could still trust him. Peyton had meant nothing more than friendship to him. He had lied to her to keep her from getting hurt. He loved her more than anything and she could still trust him. He _needed_ to get through to her.

When he returned to his bedroom the next morning, the bed had no beautiful girl laying in it. Brooke was gone, possibly forever.

_And I would have stayed up with you all night,  
had I known how to save a life._

-------

Lucas let out a deep sigh, coming straight from his heart, as all the built up hope transferred to energy. His fists began pounding on the door. He had talked to Rachel earlier at the River Court when she was visiting Mouth, and she had let him know that she would be gone tonight.

He wondered about Rachel's parents, and why they weren't there, but he quickly remembered Tree Hill, and it's rich business workers. To no surprise, they were on a trip.

He couldn't help but remember more of Brooke. The center of her pain, heartache, and unworthiness was from her parents. They had never made a point of spending a minute with Brooke, only a dime. His pretty girl had been so hurt, and so abandoned, that she had built up a greatly structured wall that was too secure.

She finally opened the door, to see Lucas standing in front of her, hopeful and soaking wet. "What do you want?"

"We have to talk, Brooke." He meant it. He needed to show her, he needed this horrible loss to end.

_As he begins to raise his voice,  
you lower yours and grant him one last choice.  
_

"I don't have anything to say to you, Lucas." She couldn't handle this. She could not stand in the doorway, watching him with his loving eyes and his caring tone, standing in the pouring rain.

She might just crumble beneath him, and losing control never worked well for her. She absolutely could not go back. It wasn't forgiveness, she could do that, it was vulnerability. She couldn't be that insecure girl anymore.

"About last night-"

_Drive until you lose the road,  
or break with the ones you've followed._

"Nothing happened last night," she said, managing to cut him off. She couldn't take this, the remembrance of him saying he loved her, or ache of wanting him to hold her once more.

If only she could go back for just one minute. To be in his tight embrace, to feel his hot breath against her. She wanted to feel safe in his arms, in his bed, and in his heart. She wanted him to love her again, but she couldn't face herself.

She knew the path she was headed on. She had been there only a year earlier, and he had saved her. He may not know it, but he saved her life. She needed him to do it again. She needed him to want her and love her again. Every minute she was away from him, she dreamt of their future together. If only dreams could come true. At this point in her life, she only had one.

"Then what about the other night Brooke? You said you missed me." He was grasping straws, maybe even straws that were bent and broken, but it was something. He had to give her something.

"Don't do this, Lucas." Her eyes began swelling as the soft, wet tears began flowing freely down her cheeks. "Please, don't," she stated sentence-like. "Why are you doing this, I'm not worth it."

_He will do one of two things.  
He will admit to everything,_

She hadn't meant to say it. She couldn't bare the thought of him knowing how she actually felt. He couldn't know that she loved him so much it hurt, or that she would die to be with him, if only it were that simple.

"Brooke!" he yelled. She couldn't help but jump back a bit, because he had literally yelled. "Brooke, listen to me, please!"

Brooke stared into his deep blue eyes, unable to form words. Could she really do this? Could she really give in, and go back?

_or he'll say he's just not the same.  
And you'll begin to wonder why you came._

"I love you, Brooke. God, I love you. You mean more to me than anything, Brooke. You have to understand this. I love you with all my heart and soul. There is nothing between Peyton and I, and there never will be again. Everything that happened is in the past."

He could feel it in his heart, and it was telling him no. He knew she was not understanding, or comprehending, or believing him. It wasn't enough.

"Brooke, I would give anything to be with you! I would never hurt you like I did before, ever again. Nothing has happened between me and Peyton since we were together last year. Nothing would ever, ever happen again," he yelled, putting emphasis on the ever's.

"You want me to let you in, well I'm trying. But Brooke, you have to do the same in return. I know you, I know what you've been feeling. I've watched you, and this drinking.. God, Brooke, you are worth more than this. You're amazing, beautiful, smart, and funny. I can not imagine my life without you, Brooke, but we both have to work at this."

He was crying his own tears now. Lucas had never been big on the tears, but Brooke meant so much to him, and he was starting to realize that it wasn't enough, and he might never win her back.

"You wanted me to rescue you, well I'm trying. I'm trying to save you, and save our relationship. Listen to me when I tell you, Brooke! In my entire life, I have never wanted or loved anyone, as much as you Brooke. I promise, if you just give us another chance, our love will _never _alter again."

_Where did I go wrong? I lost a friend,  
somewhere along in the bitterness.  
I would have stayed up with you all night,  
had I known how to save a life._

He had done it. Lucas Scott had been able to break down that hefty wall, behind that amazing dimpled smile, and gotten to the heart of Brooke Davis.

She ran to the porch, standing in the pouring rain, and kissed him with more passion and love then she had ever kissed anyone in her life. She jumped up as she wrapped her legs around him, him holding her weight completely in his arms as he had dreamt for over a month.

He had been able to break that her fake exterior, and fix the love between them. This time, nothing would never come between them again. Lucas Scott had saved them.


End file.
